Presenting the Educational Technology Unit

An offbeat look at the audio-visual aids made available to staff and students at the University of Essex by the Educational Technology Unit

Exterior and interior shots of the University of Essex, including the amiable chaos of the Educational Technology Unit, dark rooms, lecture halls and seminar rooms. Views of University staff lecturing intercut Michael Benson, the manager of the unit, introducing various pieces of equipment. These include overhead projectors, slide projectors and other processes. transparencies are made for showing on an OHP and the film shows how slides are made. The film also shows tape recorders, record players, a projection microscope and other equipment and services. A running 'gag' shows a scantily clad girl indicating that all will soon be revealed on various viewing machines for slides, tape and film. A young technician watches hopefully. 'An interval' portrays a spoof of the popular long running advertisement for 'Milk Tray' chocolates. Paul Amos runs towards the camera, overcoming obstacles to present a laboratory technician with a bulb: 'And all because the lady wants a new lamp.' Part two shows the film services available. 35mm, 16 mm and 8 mm projectors are shown and samples of the films that they make. The 20th Century Fox signature piece introduces 35 mm. A sequence from Wheatlands In East Anglia ('East Anglia is on the dry side of Great Britain') introduces 16 mm and a home movie 8 mm. Video display unit, editing facilities and tape recorders are shown. Dr. David Tilley is filmed lecturing and then watching the lecture with his family. There are further shots of the campus and the commentary explains the history of the Educational Technology Unit, founded in 1971. Finally the technicians introduce themselves and explain their work. The technicians were Michael Benson, the head of the Unit. Philip Brown, Paul Amos, Paul Waters and David Cleveland.

Featured Buildings

University of Essex

Keywords

film makers; film studies; universities;

Intertitles

End of part one. East Anglia is on the dry side of Great Britain.

Other Places

Colchester